26th.—A pleasant little interlude to-day, to the troubles and hard work through which I have had to pass: At about twelve o’clock, a soldier stepped to the door of my quarters, and said that some friends wished to see me at the door. I stepped out and found my whole corps of hospital attendants, and the patients of the hospital who were able to be up, in a circle. The head nurse stepped forward, and in a very neat little speech, presented me, in the name of himself and the others, a very pretty regulation dress sword and belt. I replied to it as well and as appropriately as I could; the ceremony closed by a vociferous testimonial of kind feelings, and we parted. I confess that I have been highly gratified. The compliment was appreciated by the fact that it came directly from those who most intimately know me, both personally and officially.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 26. — Morning and most of the afternoon pleasant, but just as I came in from brigade drill under General Martindale, it began to rain. Found the general at home, and busy writing orders for our starting. If it does not rain too much we shall start tomorrow, I think. I am getting my things ready. Received some of my photographs from Washington to-day. They are the best I ever had taken.
Wednesday 26th
Cloudy morning and rain before noon again. The roads were getting quite passable yesterday. There was a stir among the Military. Genl Banks crossed the River (above) it is said, and some Regts & Batteries were sent over from here. Julia was at Genl McClellans. Mrs M told her that the Genl had gone to parts unknown over the River. There is a good deal of excitement in the City in consequence of the reported Advance. There has been some skirmishing among the Pickets today. Mr David of N.H. with his son, Edward from Dubuque, called on me at the office today with a letter from the Dr, of introduction. He left this afternoon for home. I was at the National tonight to see E, he has a brother in the Army who is now here.
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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.
Wednesday, 26th—Nothing of importance. We are in a regular tented camp here, and it seems more like being in the army than it did at Lookout Station.
To Mrs. Lyon
Feb. 26, 1862.—I moved Saturday to my own quarters. Board with a Mrs. Reyburn, whose husband is a sutler. My bed is in the parlor, and I have white sheets. Everything is as neat as wax and the whole family are so solicitous for my comfort it is almost embarrassing. I can tell in a day or two when you had better come.
I can give you no idea of our future movements. It is supposed that our troops are at Nashville and that Tennessee has caved in. We do not think that there will be any fight at Columbus or Memphis. Both places are expected to surrender soon. Their terrible defeat at Donelson seems to have taken the life out of the rebels. We have given up all idea of seeing any more fighting. The buds and grass are starting and spring is here.
26th. Went down and saw Brownell and the other wounded boys. All getting along well. Guarded against Quantrell. The boys, about two hundred, saddled and went out to meet the wagons. Met them and escorted them in. Quantrell captured two horses. Another night alarm.
FEBRUARY 26TH.—Congress, in secret session, has authorized the declaration of martial law in this city, and at some few other places. This might be well under other circumstances; but it will not be well if the old general in command should be clothed with powers which he has no qualifications to wield advantageously. The facile old man will do anything the Secretary advises.
Our army is to fall back from Manassas! The Rappahannock is not to be our line of defense. Of course the enemy will soon strike at Richmond from some direction. I have given great offense to some of our people by saying the policy of permitting men to go North at will, will bring the enemy to the gates of the city in ninety days. Several have told me that the prediction has been marked in the Secretary’s tablets, and that I am marked for destruction if it be not verified. I reply that I would rather be destroyed than that it should be fulfilled.
Wednesday, February 26.
Encouraged by several windy days, which were likely to dry the roads, we ventured out to Joe’s camp for the first time since early in January, to show it to Mother and Hatty. The roads were unexpectedly good, the only really bad places being near the camp. J. had dined, but gave us a nice and hearty after-lunch, and Mother enjoyed the experience very much. While we were there the general order arrived placing the army in readiness to march at very short notice. Four wagons are allowed to each regiment, and quartermasters are to see that they are not heavily loaded: the men to carry knapsacks and blankets and the little shelter-tents large enough for three or four men to creep under. The order cast a gloom over our little visit, but the effect on the troops was very different. As we sat in J’s tent we could hear the cheers ringing through the camps as the order was read—three times three and a tiger.
Just before this J. H. had mailed a little box of trailing arbutus “from camp” to J. S. W. and this acknowledgment came back.
Arbutus from Camp, near Alexandria.
Sent by Capt. J. H., 1862.
“ Thank God for Spring!” I said;
While no one watches, through the gloomy hours
She walks the weary earth with noiseless tread
And fills the graves with flowers.
And, holding in my hand
My Soldier’s message, in its leaves I read
Through winter-sorrows of a weeping land
A dawn of Spring indeed!
Dull, sodden leaves o’er-strown,
Then, tears of rain, and then, these flowers for me.
The wild war horses tread the blossoms down
And set the sweetness free.
So get me flowers again
Dear Soldier;—not alone of Hope and Spring,
Flowers of full Summer, through the crimson rain
And battle thunder of the stormy plain,
Close on their blossoming!
Red roses, flushed and bold,
Red victor-roses,—sea-blue bells wide blown
That ring for joy the river-edges down,
And white Peace-lilies with the spike of gold
That clasp the perfect crown.
J. S. W.
February 26.—This day, in the Maryland House of Delegates, Reverdy Johnson, of Baltimore County, submitted the following: Preamble and Resolution on the subject of the course the State will pursue in the present rebellion.
Whereas, Jefferson Davis, a pretended president of a pretended confederacy, in a paper styled an inaugural, delivered by him in Richmond, Va., on the twenty-second inst, has repeated an assertion often recklessly uttered in public bodies of the so-called Confederate States, that “Maryland, already united to us by hallowed memories and material interests, will, when able to speak with unstifled voice, unite her destiny to the South;”
And whereas, it is due to the intelligence, patriotism and good name of our people that such assertion be at once repudiated by their Representatives here assembled; therefore be it
Resolved, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That such assertion is an unfounded and gross calumny upon the people of the State, who, sincerely lamenting the madness and self-inflicted misfortunes of our brethren of the South, acting under a delusion caused by the arts of the aspiring and criminal ambition of a few designing men, are but admonished by the sad condition of such brethren, of the fatal results sure to follow from the course which they have pursued, and are more and more convinced of the obligation, alike of interest and of duty, to abide, with undying attachment, to the Union devised for us by our fathers, as absolutely necessary to our social and political happiness, and the preservation of the very liberty which they fought and bled to achieve for us.
—This night Capt. Montgomery, of Wright’s battalion, with his company, was surprised at Keittsville, Barry Co., Mo., by eight hundred and fifty rebels, supposed to belong to McBride’s division, but who represented themselves as Texas Rangers. They fired into the house occupied by the National troops, killing two and wounding one. One of the rebels was killed, the rest fled, taking with them about seventy horses.
Two wagons, loaded with sutler’s stores, were burned at Major Harbine’s farm, two miles beyond Keittsville.
—The Fifteenth regiment of Maine volunteers arrived from Augusta at Portland, and embarked on board the ship Great Republic.
—In the Confederate Congress at Richmond, Va., Senator Simms, of Kentucky, offered resolutions, declaring that the people of the Confederate States will, to the last extremity, maintain and defend their right to self-government and the government established by them, and to this end do pledge their last man and their last dollar for the prosecution of the war, until their independence is acknowledged; and also, that they will submit to any sacrifice, and endure any trial, however severe, and firmly relying upon the justice of their cause, and humbly trusting in the providence of God, will maintain their position before the world and high Heaven, while they have a voice to raise, or an arm to defend. The resolutions were referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.—(Doc. 65.)
—The President of the United States approved the Loan and Treasury Bill, and the measure became the law of the land. It creates a national currency of United States notes, of the denominations of five dollars and upwards, made lawful money, and a legal tender for all debts, public and private, and in all payments to and from the Government, other than for customs duties to the United States, and interest on the public debt by the United States. The total amount of this currency authorized is not to exceed one hundred and fifty million dollars, including the sixty million dollars of United States notes issued under the Act of July seventeenth. These being made receivable by that act, for all public dues, are now authorized to be accepted in place of gold, for customs duties; but the whole issue is to be withdrawn and cancelled, and regular legal tender United States notes substituted, as soon as practicable. The customs duties, whether in gold or United States notes, are specifically pledged for the interest on the public debt, which is to be invariably paid in gold.
The loan authorized by this act is limited to five hundred million dollars, on the estimate of the Secretary of the Treasury, for the service of the remaining four months of the present fiscal year, and the succeeding fiscal year. Only one form of loan is prescribed—a twenty year six per cent stock, coupon or registered, which may be redeemed, at the pleasure of the Government, at any time after five years, at the par value thereof. Into this stock the United States notes of circulation are made convertible, the conversion not to affect the sum total of United States notes, legal tender, which the Treasury is authorized to keep in circulation.
—The National gunboat R. B. Forbes, having run ashore near Nag’s Head, N. C, was set on fire this morning, and totally destroyed. The rebels threatened to take her, but the captain by his great coolness prevented.
—A meeting of cotton and tobacco-planters, was held in Richmond, Va., to take into consideration the voluntary destruction of the cotton and tobacco crop, in view of the fact that the enemy’s efforts were mainly directed toward robbing the South of the accumulation of these two great staples:
“On motion of Col. C. M. F. Garnett, Gen. Thomas J. Green, of North-Carolina, was called to the chair, and R. R. Rhodes, Esq., Commissioner of Patents, appointed Secretary. The Chairman explained the objects of the meeting, saying that as cotton was king and tobacco vice-regal, it was proposed to ascertain how far they could be made to subserve the cause of our independence.
“An eloquent address was delivered by Dr. C. K. Marshall, of Mississippi, in which he advocated the purchase of the cotton and tobacco crop by the government, and its destruction, if necessary. He deprecated reliance on foreign intervention, saying that we must fight out the battle ourselves.
“Gov. Brown, of Mississippi, being called upon, responded in a few spirited remarks, in the course of which the extortioners and the Yankee acquisitiveness of the shopkeepers and moneymakers who have selected Richmond as the theatre of their exploits, were alluded to in terms of withering contempt.
“The Mayor responded, defending the resident population from any charge tending to impugn their devotion to the cause of Southern rights.
“Thomas H. Wynne, Esq., of the House of Delegates, spoke effectively in vindication of his fellow-citizens from the charge of want of appreciation or patriotism, showing that these entitled to be called citizens of the metropolis had, since the commencement of the war, met the requirements of the crisis. The city, he said, had sent to the field a soldier for every voter.
“Gov. Brown briefly responded, again excoriating the extortioners and cheating shopkeepers now domiciled in our midst”—(Doc. 66.)
—The Raleigh (N. C.) Register of this date, has an editorial which begins by saying that “it would be criminal as well as idle to deny that the present is the most gloomy period that the South has witnessed since the commencement of the war,” and the editor in the most earnest manner calls upon the people to remain by their colors and fight to the last.
Gallipolis, February 26, 1862.
Dear Uncle: — On my way to the wars again. Left all well and happy at home. Your letters reached me. There will be no difficulty about “camping down” in your house. Lucy could get up out of her furniture a camp chest which will be ample for comfort without buying anything.
I shall be away from mails soon. Shall not write often. You will hear all important things by telegraph.
Sincerely,
R. B. Hayes.
S. Birchard.
